Ferrari Returns to Classic Styling with the Roma

MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA - JUNE 28: The Ferrari logo is seen on the new Ferrari 812 Superfast at the Australasian Premiere on June 28, 2017 in Melbourne, Australia. The 812 Superfast is the most powerful and fastest Ferrari in the carmakers history, reaching 0-100 km/h in just 2.9 seconds. (Photo by Michael Dodge/Getty Images)

For those worried about Ferrari’s design skills after they ditched Pininfarina back in 205, this might ease your worries. Today the brand released pictures today of their upcoming mid-front-engined 2+2 coupé, dubbed the Roma. It was also unveiled in a private, upscale Ferrari event in the model’s namesake, Rome.

The Roma marks the most recent of Ferrari’s latest push to expand market share which has included models like the SF90 Stradale the F8 Tributo, and there’s still the Purosang SUV to be revealed. And this latest coupé from the Prancing Horse is sure to impress with its clean, elegant bodywork, and completely redesigned interior.

The Roma is heavily based on on the Portofino, but you wouldn’t think it from its looks. It dons a much more sloped nose, with a headlight design borrowed from the Monza speedster. There is also much smoother bodywork throughout, in comparison with other recent pani. Ferrari states that “To underscore that formal minimalism, all superfluous detailing has been removed.”

Along with the shared chassis as the Portofino, the Roma also shares its V8 Engine which produces over 600 horses. Count on the Roma being lighter as well, as it won’t share the complex hardtop convertible unit that’s in the Portofino. Also inside Ferrari’s newest coupé is the 8-speed dual clutch gearbox that was introduced in the SF90 Stradale, which helps to give the Roma to complete a 0-60 dash in 3.4 seconds.

Ferrari describes the Roma’s design as “a contemporary representation of the carefree, pleasurable way of life that characterised Rome in the 1950s and ‘60s.”Maybe the best design cue is the electronic shift designed to pay homage to the classic Ferrari gated manual. Though they can never replace the original, it’s a nice touch.